Factors Affecting the Intention to Download Music: Quality Perceptions and Downloading Intensity

Illicit music downloading is a problem for music industry groups. A rational theory of delinquency holds that actors weigh the costs and benefits before committing a deviant act. However, theory developed for physical goods may not apply to digital products. In addition, cultural products have uncertain quality prior to consumption. The intention to acquire such products may be affected by perceived quality. This paper explores the intention to illegally download music from the Internet, focusing on perceptions of quality and cost in the context of heavy downloaders and light downloaders. This study builds and tests an intention model using factors from the behavioral, economic and technological literature. The results indicate that individuals' attitude, ability to download online music, and the price of legitimate music are the most significant factors affecting individuals' music downloading behavior. The study finds that both price and quality is important for heavy downloaders but only price is significant for light downloaders. Implications of these findings for the music industry are discussed.